Corrugated fabric and method for making same



March 30, 1937. H. RUBINSTEIN 2,075,662

CORRUGATED FABRIC AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME Filed March 25, 19:54 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w,- .16 ;"0 t I amnnaiiiiiiiiiiiinnim'mfiilf wnmnmnmnnimsimb l nummiliiuiiiiiuinqg;

llllllllllllllmllfli INVENTOR .im'eg IPUSINSTE/N March H. RUBINSTEIN 2,075,662

CORRUGATED FABRIC AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME Filed March 23, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. so, 1937 UNITED STATES 2,075,662 coanuoarnn mmuc AND METHOD FOR.

MAKIN G SAME .Harry Rubinstein, Brooklyn, N, Y. Application March 23, 1934, Serial No. 717,099

8 Claims.

The invention relates to knitted fabrics, particularly to those adapted to be formed upon a circular knitting machine, and has for its general object the provision of a novel fabric together with the method and means for making same, the fabric being characterized by a corrugated, crimped or crinkled appearance rendering it particularly appropriate and attractive for use in the millinery art.

An important object of the invention is to provide a fabric having these qualities and which is of a composite nature in that it is preferably formed from alternate groups of rows .of interlinked loops, alternate groups being formed of relatively soft threads and the other alternate groups being formed of relatively stiifthreads or filaments, the combination of the alternating groups of rows of the diiferent characters of threads resulting in the production of the corrugated or crinkled effect so eminently suited to the manufacture of hats for feminine wear.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel fabric in which the corrugated effect is brought about by the knitting together of groups of rows of interlinked loops of what is known as rayon straw, which groups of rows alternate, in accordance with any predetermined design, and groups of rows of loops of relatively soft threads such as ordinary rayon of any appropriate denier and of any desired number of strands and filaments, the loops of the so-called rayon straw being relativelyshort or close drawn as compared with those of the softer thread, the effect being that, viewing one side of the fabric,

a the rows of loops of the relatively stiff or rayon filaments will define channels whereas the connecting rows of loops of the relatively soft threads will define ridges alternating with the channels. V

Another object of the invention is to provide a fabric having these characteristics which, when immersed in water or other appropriate liquid, will lose a part of its stiffness and at the same time contract, thereby reducing the apparent the former, and thus bring about a, highly attractive ribbed appearance making the fabric ornamental in character and well adapted for use in millinery work, though if desired it may method being carried out on a standard "type of- 55f circular knitting machine andinvolving the inwidth of the channels and ridges, particularly 7 terlinking of the alternating groups of rows of loops, the loops in one set of alternating groups being relatively long while those in the other alternate groups are short or close so as to obtain the desired effect.

7 Another object of the invention is to provide an appropriate apparatus for forming the desired fabric, the apparatus consisting of a circular type of knitting machine with the usual needles and needle operating means as well as the usual sinkl0 ers, the degree of movement of the latter being, however, specially adjusted so that the different lengths of loops in the alternate groups may be properly obtained. 7 v

Another object is to provide in a circular .knit- 15 ting machine a novel adjustment of the sinkers which cooperate with the needles in order to produce the corrugated or crimped fabric desired.

An additional object is to provide a method and apparatus for producing a fabric of the 20 character specified in a very simple, inexpensive and rapid manner, these features being in addition to the novel character of the fabric itself, all phases of the invention contributing materially to a, distinct improvement in the art.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages, the invention preferably consists in the fabric construction as well as the material employed therefor, the method of forming the different lengths of loops and also the apparatus therefor, all to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of acircular knitting machine by means of which my fabric may be produced, this view being in some respects diagrammatic as numerous details are omitted,

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken approximately on the line 2-4 of Figure 1,

Figure -3 is a fragmentary view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and looking upwardly or in the direction ofthe'arrows, 1

Figure 4 is an inside face view of-a portion 1 of the cam track for-controlling the needle movement, V Figure 5 is a horizontal cross section therethrough,

Figure 6 is a detail elevation showing the action in producing the long loops,

Figure 7 is a similar view showing the action of the parts in forming the short or close loops, Figure 8 is an expanded view of afragment of the fabric formed in accordance with the .in- I vention, I

' Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevation of the fabric as it comes from the machine,

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional perspective view of the fabric shown in Figure 9,

Figure 11 is an elevation of a fragment of the fabric after it has been treated with water or other suitable liquid to effect contraction,

Figure 12 is a vertical sectional perspective view thereof.

Referring to the drawings in detail I have illusplates l8 which, together, constitute a circular ring. Suitably supported withrespect to the table I5 is the rotary head l9 travelling within the confines of thestationary ring l1 and the a assembled segments l8 and adjacent the inner periphery of a ring 2|! stationarily mounted with respect to the table l5. The head l9 carries the needles which cooperate with cam devices carried by the ring 20, all as will be described in detail.

.In carrying out the present invention I make use of a series of needles 2| of conventional type and all of the same construction, or in other words identical in form, theneedles being provided with the customary butts 22 and the usual beards 23 which catch the threads for carrying out the knitting action. Operating between the successive needles are the usual radially movable sinkers 24 having upstanding projections 25 thereon movable along trackways 26 within which are interposed, at proper spaced points, cam tracks or grooves 21 which are adjustable as will be described for the purpose of controlling the extent of radial movement of the sinkers. Machines of this type. are provided with beard closers 28 for the purpose of closing the needle beards 23 so that they may enter and pass through the loops of a previously knitted row. In actual practice these beard closers are held in place by a circular coil spring 29 which surrounds the head l3 and which operates to hold the beard closers out of operative relation to the needles or out of engagement therewith.

'It is furthermore customary to provide cams 30 located at intervals for the purpose of lining up and retracting the beard closers 28 at points near and in advance of the knitting points at which latter areprovided cams 3| for projecting the beard closers into operative relation to the needles so that they will function to close the beards as the needles move downwardly in making the loops. When the machine is in operation all of the needles of course turn with the head l4, the needle butts 22 being engaged by cam means, to be described, carried by the ring 26 for moving the needles upwardly and downwardly at the proper intervals. This cam mechanism includes a plurality of similar or counterpart sections 32 corresponding to the arcuate plate sections l8 and to the number of knitting points, it being noted that there is a knitting point or station at each of the segments l8. Each section 32 carries or embodies a cam 33 having an inclined upper edge 34 along, which the needle butts 22 ride. Adjacent the cam 33 is a cam .35 which has its upper edge 36 leading or continuing horizontally from the high end of 'the inclined edge 34 and then curving downwardly at 31 beneath a cam 38 having downwardly converging inclined surfaces 39 and 40, the latter being spaced above the low end of the inclined surface 34 of the cam 33 of the next adjacent section 32.

As the head I9 rotates, carrying with it the needles'2l, the needle butts 22 ride up along the inclined surface 34, then remain in elevated position while they pass along the horizontal surface 36 and then engage the inclined surface 39 of the cam 38 which operates to move the successive needles downwardly. From the lowest point of the surface 39 the needle butts pass on to the low end of the next adjacent inclined edge 34, and this action continues or is brought about at each knitting point or station of the machine. tion is common and Well known in knitting machines of this and analogous types. In fact everything described up to this point is old with the exception of varying the degree of radial movement of the sinkers, it being one of the requirements of the present invention that the sinkers have a much longer movement at certain points or stations than at the others.

Referring to Figure 1 it will be observed that the machine is represented as having eight knitting points or stations 4|, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 41 and 48, these knitting stations being at the cams 30. In the carrying out of my invention I use two threads at each knitting station, these threads leading from any suitable source of supply and passing through guides 43 to the needles. At each of the stations 4|, 42, 43 and 44 I use two threads 50which may simply be of rayon or the like of any desired number of turns, filaments and denier, it having been found that threads of 150 denier, 40 filaments and 3 turns are highly satisfactory for producing the type of fabric to which the invention relates. At each of the knitting points or stations 45, 46, 41 and 48 I employ filaments 5| of what is known as rayon straw, which is stiff as compared with the ordinary thread. Filaments of 150 denier are found to be very satisfactory. At each station I preferably use two of such filaments though it is conceivable that the fabric can be made with but one ateach point though it would not have exactly the same characteristics as when two are used. The relatively soft or ordinary rayon or other threads are intended to form elongated or relatively open loops whereas the rayon straw filaments are intended to form the closely knitted or short loops which are in rows and which alternate with the rows of long loops as mentioned in the objects of the invention. I

Long loops are formed by the relatively soft threads so at the knitting points, 42, 4: and

44 whereas short loops formed of the relatively stiff filaments are formed by the threads 5| at the knitting points 45, 46, 41 and 48. This difference' is brought about by adjusting the degree of radial movement of the sinkers 24 as this movement determines the length of the loops. Clearly at the knitting points 4|, 42, 43 and 44 the sinkers have relatively long movement whereas at the points 45, 46, 41 and 48 the movement is less. This is controlled by adjusting the cam grooves 21 which are interposed in the trackways 26. This adjustment is clearly indicated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings wherein it will be observed that the underside of each ring segment I8 is recessed at 52 for the accommodation of radially slidably mounted plates 53 which interengage as shown in Figure 3 and which are It should be mentioned that this acdepressed or channel portions formed by the formed with grooves 64. which together constitute the cam grooves 21 previously referred to and which receive the upstanding projections 25 on the sinkers. The edges or sides of the grooves 54 must of course be of such shape that cooperating with the edges of the projections 25 the slnkers 24 will be caused to move in and out as is one of the requirements in a machine ofthis type. The sinkers of course have upstanding portions 55 notched at their inner edges as shown at 56 and during the operation of the machine whatever threads are used are engaged within ,the notches 56, the portions of the threads between successive sinkers being in position to be engaged by the beards 23 of the needles as the latter move down so that the linking loops will be formed.

Variation in the length of any loops is effected by shifting the positions of the plates-53 and this "30 is done by means of a plurality of adjusting screws 61 which are threaded through the outer edges of the ring segments I! at the recesses 52 and which engage against the outer edges of the plates 53. Any desired adjustment is main- 25 tamed by means of screws 58 projecting upwardly from the plates 53, passing through slots 59 in the top of the ring segments l8 and carrying locking nuts 66. If the plates 53 be adjusted inwardly-toward the center of the machine the sinkers will move inwardly to a greater extent and longer loops will be formed in the threads than if the plates 53 be shifted outwardly or away from the center of the machine. At the knitting points 45, 46, 41 and 48 the plates 53 are adjusted outwardly so that the sinkers at this half of the machine will have less movement than those at the other half consisting of the knitting points 4|, 42, 43 and 44.

In the operation of the machine to form my novel fabric, adjustment of the plates 53 is' effected at the two halves of the machine as explained in the preceding paragraph, after,

which the threadgill are threaded m at the points 4|, 42, 43 and 44 and the filaments 5| 45 threaded in at the points 45, 46, 41 and 48. When the machine is then set in motion it will carry out the knitting action in exactly the same manner as any other. machine of this type except that at each of the knitting points, 4|, 42,

43 .and 44 there 'will be formed a'seriesof long loops 6| each formed of two of the threads 50 and each row interlinking with the. next'as clearly shown in Figure 8, whereas at each of the knitting points 45, 46, 41' and 48 there will be formed a row or series of shorter loops 62,

these four rows interlinking withone another in succession and interlinking with the adjacent long loops 6|, as will be rea ly apparent from an inspection of Figure 8. e fabric therefore consists of sections or portions'arranged in alternation, one section or portion being formed of the long loops, the next being formed of short loops, the next again formed of long loops, and

so on throughout. On account of the stiffness of the rayon straw filaments 5| of which the short loops are formed the portions of the fabric formed of these short loops of stiff filaments will curl toward the inner or wrong side of the fabric whereby the portions or sections formed 70 of the long loops of relatively soft threads will be caused to curl correspondingly outwardly at the outer'or right side of the fabric, thereby producing a series of ridges which will give the corrugated effect as clearly indicated in Figures 9 75 and 10 in which the numeral 63 designates the necessary interstiif short loops, and the numeral 64 designates the upstanding ridges formed of the long loops of softer threads; It should be understood that either side may be the right side, depending on whether a soft or a straw-like appearance is desired.

The fabric formed in this way can of course be used as it comes from the machine if such is desired but I have found that the attractive ribbed or crimped appearance is much enhanced by contracting the fabric and this may readily be done by immersing or washing it in water or possibly some otherliquid which may be colorless or which may be a dye but which has the eifect of shrinking the fabric transversely of the ridgesand grooves, thereby reducing the width of the stiff channel portions as well as the upstanding ridge portions or wales and, incidentally, rendering the product as a whole softer and easier to handle. Figures 11 and 12 represent the fabric in its shrunk condition and it will be observed that the ridge and channel effect is very pronounced.

While I have described the fabric as comprising four rows of long loops alternating as a group with four rows of short loops, it should be understood that there is no limitation in this respect as the number of rows in either group may be increased or decreased but the arrangement I have vantage is that my fabric is formed on the ordinary type of circular knitting machine and is produced" simply by using the threads of the two types, that is to say a soft thread and a stiff filament and by adjusting the movement of those sinkers which operate on the stiff filament so that shorter loops will be formed therewithin than with the relatively soft threads. The invention may therefore be carried out in a simple manner and without requiring adjunctive or auxiliary mechanism on a knitting machine. It is believed from the foregoing that the method, the action and the details of the product will be readily understood by one skilled in the art without further explanation.

- While I have shown the preferred embodiment of the invention as regards the fabric, the method of making, the arrangements, adjustments and also the construction of the mechanism for making the goods, it should be understood that the disclosure is merely an exempliflcation of the principles involved and that the right is reserved to make any such changes in the fabric itself, in the method of making it and in the apparatus as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

' 1. A- knitted fabric comprising" a plurality of alternating interlinking "groups of interlinked rows of loops, the loops of alternate groups being relatively long and of soft threads and the loops of the .other alternate groups being relatively short and of straw-like material.

2. A knitted fabric comprising a plurality of alternating interlinking groups of interlinked rows of loops, the loops of alternate groups being formed of relatively soft threads and the loops of the other alternate groups being formed of relatively stiff filaments of rayon straw.

3. A knitted frabric comp ising a plurality of alternating interlinking groups of interlinked rows of loops, the loops of alternate groups being relatively long and the loops of the other alternate groups being relatively short, the long loops being formed of rayon threads and the short loops being formed of rayon straw.

4. A knitted fabric comprising alternating groups of rows of long and short loops defining respectively alternating upstanding ribs and depressed channels, certain' of the loops being formed of rayon straw.

5. A knitted fabriccomprising groups of rows of long and short loops respectively interlinked interlinking a plurality of rows of relatively long loops and linking thereto groups of rows of relatively short interlinked loops, the groups of long loops and the groups of short loops being arranged in alternation throughout, and the short loops being formed of straw-like material.

7. The method of making a corrugated fabric comprising knitting together in alternation groups of interlinked long and short loops, the long loops being formed of relatively soft threads and the short loops being formed of relatively stiff filaments of straw-like character.

- 8. The method of making a fabric of the character described comprising knitting together alternate groups of rows of loops, forming the loops of alternate groups of relatively soft, threads and forming the loops of the other alternate groups from relatively stifi filaments of rayon straw.

HARRY RUBINSTEIN. 

